424
THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 11TH JUNE, 1881.
I am of opinion, and I am sure you will agree
with me, that we are very lightly taxed. Hong- kong is
free port; we have no income tax; we have no public debt, and we have a moderate surplus,---less than one year's income.
For that revenue, which, as I say, has been a growing
revenue for some years past, and that without the imposition of any additional taxation--for that
revenue, what has the Government done? We
have kept up, I think, an efficient police force,
and there has been no stinting of money in those
ordinary functions of Government represented by the various services and establishments of the
Colony. Whatever has been required for getting
the Supreme Court into that working order which
the Chief Justice and His Honour the Acting
Chief Justice urged over and over again upon
successive Governors as being necessary, has now
been provided. It has involved a little expense
with respect to interpretation and other points. The vote for public instruction is now larger than ever it was: so is the vote for medical and sanitary I have added a new branch to the purposes.
Harbour Department,-the Surveyorship under our Merchant Shipping Ordinance of 1879. In- stead of $700 a year as in 1877, we now spend $10,000 a year in tree planting. In short, I don't think anything absolutely needed for the wants of the Colony has been neglected. I am bound to say, that during the four years of my Govern- ment of the Colony, whenever this Council has met I have been only too anxious to receive from my honourable friends any suggestions either with respect to prudent retrenchment or to any neces- sary outlay. And during these four years, there has not occurred one single division in Council. Now, my two honourable friends on my right (the Acting Chief Justice and the Attorney General)
have had experience in other Crown Colonies- in Singapore and Jamaica-and I think they will learn with some surprise and gratification the fact that for four years we have never had a division in this Council.
Perhaps there is some misunderstanding with respect to the functions of this Council. It has been asserted that an unofficial member of the Legislative Council has not the power of initiating anything, and that his position is a peculiar and somewhat discouraging one on that account. But, as a matter of fact, an unofficial member of the Legislative Council has, in that respect, exactly the same powers and privileges as a member of the House of Commons; a member of the Legis- lative Council can, in fact, initiate any vote or motion he pleases, with the one proviso that he cannot propose the expenditure of money. The same rule applies precisely in the House of Com- motion mons; there is no difference whatever; any may. be made by members of Council in the form prescribed by the rules and regulations, all of which are really based on the orders and procedure of Parliament in England. Our Legislative Coun- cil, as constituted at this moment, represents the community. We have now, and have had for some time past, a Chinese member sitting in this Council Chamber. No one, I am sure, will deny
華
衷前
此本支理化誘役餉叉通 七量 歴足躒
共經年
種前
亦
多
鉅變
量輸
國乃
和衷共濟之事實屬罕聞誠堪詫異誠堪喜樂者也 前經膺任在國家自管藩屬之別埠卽新嘉波及渣美嘉他固知四年間定例局内並無有不 本局不論何時會議無不極樂聽局局紳所言者及凡非不得已之費用亦無不慎而節之在 支七百大圓現則每年費至萬圓本部堂以爲香港所需者經已全備矣本堂部蒞任四載以來 化之項較勝於前醫院所需及清除街道糞料之費亦比前較多於船政署增設房科在彼辦 請歷任總督者現已頒行即因傳供與及別欸而該項數亦捱鉅現在每年所支助賞各義學教 餉則未嘗加抽亦遞年增益但做輸此國餉而國家究 見以何者爲保護百姓耶則有能幹差 又無每丁量入計抽之法而香港國庫並無少欠乃有盈餘第所蓄無多不足一年經費耳按國 此四年間未嘗一次有局員局紳不與本部堂和衷共濟者本局內現有二位卽署杲司及律政 提舉此規條確與英國國會所有章程規條符合照 理量度查察船隻以遵守一千八百七十九年船戶則例種植樹木經費一千八百七十七年僅 隨意提舉諸般新例無不可者國會下堂亦有如此 役足供指揮另各衙署辦公絕無鄙吝苛刻之事臬署所當更孌以便辦公者止泉司前鄉申 其間要之凡定例局紳非居官者其權與英國之國 通計香港輸餉之事所抽亦殊不重想諸公意見與本部堂相同亦必以爲然也香港並無稅關 或有不明本局紳士確有何權則謂定例局紳非居 人膺紳士之任者久矣 本局現有規條局紳乃代百姓辦事者本局內亦有 之法無少差別凡與局内規條符合之事局紳皆可 會下堂紳士同凡定例局紳除支消國餉事外有權 官者固無權提舉新例又謂厥職奇異故有志於
有律之以年彼 純幹
不政在來僅辦教申差